Amazon combines Kindle and iPhone

Kindle e-book reader releases for Apple handset

Amazon has released a Kindle e-book reader for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch, broadening the market for its e-book outlet and giving Kindle readers another way of reading e-books.

The free application, which is available on Apple's App Store, allows readers to automatically synchronise e-books and bookmarks with their Kindle or Kindle 2 e-book readers. The feature is designed to allow readers to continue reading their e-books when they don't have their Kindles with them.

The application also allows users to read e-books purchased at Amazon's Kindle Store without a Kindle reader, expanding the number of potential customers for e-books.

The release of the Kindle application for the iPhone and iPod Touch follows the release last month of Amazon's Kindle 2 reader in the US. Like the original Kindle, the Kindle 2 allows users to purchase and download e-books wirelessly from the Kindle Store. Users can also subscribe to Kindle versions of major newspapers and magazines, which are then delivered wirelessly to the readers.